FILE â Massachusetts State Trooper Orlando Medina questions a driver stopped at a sobriety checkpoint set up by state and local police on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield.File photo | The Republican

Checkpoints for Hampden and Suffolk counties are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 22, through early Saturday, Nov. 23. A checkpoint for Essex County is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 23, through early Sunday, Nov. 24.

The purpose of the roadblocks is to stop and arrest motorists who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The checkpoints are held during varied hours and the selection of vehicles is not arbitrary, according to Col. Timothy P. Alben, superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.

Funding for the traffic enforcement operations is provided through a grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Highway Safety Division.